How to find hidden notes on Xiaomi: 7 proven ways

Have you ever encountered a situation where an important note on Xiaomi suddenly disappeared from the application, but you were sure that you did not delete it? Or suspect that someone deliberately hid the notes on your phone? Hidden notes on Xiaomi devices are not a myth: they can remain in system folders, backups or even in cloud services that are not available through the standard interface. In this article, we will analyze all possible places where notes are stored on Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, including technical methods for advanced users.

It's important to understand that hidden notes can mean things, from deleted but not completely cleaned records to notes hidden in protected memory, to even data synchronized with the cloud but not displayed in the application, and we'll look at each scenario separately so that you can retrieve the information you want to access, regardless of the reason for the loss.

1. Standard Notes app: where to look for archive and basket

The first place to start a search is the Notes app itself (or Notes on global firmware), and even if it was missing from the main list, it could have been moved to an archive or a shopping cart.

• 📁 Open the Notes app and tap the icon three dots (⋮) top-right.
• 🗑️ Select the item Cart - here are stored deleted notes for 30 days (on some firmware, the period may differ).
• 📦 Go to the Archives section – here users often move notes to hide them from the main list.
• 🔍 Use keyword search (magnifying glass icon) – sometimes notes stay in the system but get lost among hundreds of other entries.

If you use Mi Account for sync, check if it is accidentally disabled. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Data Sync and make sure the switch next to Notes is active. On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or POCO F5), sync notes can be tied to a separate Mi Cloud Notes service, which requires separate authorization.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a note from your cart or it has been in the cart for more than 30 days, it will not be possible to restore it through a standard application.

2. Search for notes through file manager: where data is stored

All notes on Xiaomi are stored as files in system folders, and to find them, you will need a file manager with access to hidden directories (for example, Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).

• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.notes/files/ — main folder with notes (may be called com.miui.notes or com.xiaomi.notes depending on the firmware version).
• 📂 /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/ — Databases with notes are stored here (root rights are required to access).
• 📂 /sdcard/MIUI/backup/Notes/ — backup copies of notes created by the system (if automatic backup is enabled).

Note files usually have.db (SQLite databases) or.json (for exported records) extensions to view their contents:

1. Copy the files to the computer.
2. For.db, use the DB Browser for SQLite program.
3. For.json, open the file in any text editor (e.g. Notepad++).

If you don't have folders on these paths, try enabling hidden files in your file manager settings. On Xiaomi, it's like this: open Mi File Explorer, tap three lines in the top left, select Settings → Show hidden files.

⚠️ Warning: Do not edit database files directly without backing up! This can lead to the loss of all notes. If you are not sure about your actions, you should use specialized data recovery software.

3. Recovery of Notes via Mi Cloud: Cloud Backups

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, there is a high probability that the notes are saved to the cloud, even if they have disappeared from the device.

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
2. In the Cloud section, select Notes.
3. Check all folders, including the Archive and Recycle Bin in the web version.

If notes aren’t on the main list, try restoring them from a backup:

1. On the Mi Cloud website, go to Settings → Data Recovery.
2. Select a backup created before the notes disappear.
3. Click Restore and wait for the process to be completed.

If you don’t remember if sync was enabled, check this in your phone settings: Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Data Sync. Note that on some budget models (e.g. Redmi 9A), cloud-based note sync may be disabled by default.

💡

If you can’t sign in to Mi Cloud due to two-factor authentication, try re-establishing access through the Mi Account app on your phone. Sometimes the web version blocks login from new devices for security reasons.

4.Use ADB to search for hidden notes (for advanced ones)

If standard methods didn't work, you can try extracting notes using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge.

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Make sure the device is determined.)

adb shell


su




cd /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/




ls

You'll see a list of database files. The main interest is notes.db or notes.db-wal. Copy them to your computer:

adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db C:\notes_backup\

Now you can open notes.db in DB Browser for SQLite and view note or note tables where the notes are stored.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Download ADB Tools from the official Google website|Enable the developer mode on the phone|Connect the phone to the original USB-cable|Disable the firewall/antivirus during operation-->

⚠️ Attention: Working with ADB The wrong commands can cause a system failure or data loss. If you're not sure what you're doing, you should see a specialist.

5. Hidden Notes in Secure Folders (Second Space and App Lock)

Xiaomi has two features that can hide notes from prying eyes: Second Space (second desktop) and App Lock (app lock).If you suspect that notes are hidden this way, follow the following steps:

• 🔐 App Lock: Open Settings → Annexes → Block applications. Enter a password (if installed). Check if the application is blocked.

Second Space

1. Go to Settings → Special Options → Second Space.
2. Enter the password to enter the second profile.
3. Check the Notes app in the second space.

Some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F4 GT) have another feature called Private Mode, which encrypts individual files to check it:

1. Open the Gallery or the Files.
2. Slip on the icon of the Castle in the upper right corner.
3. Enter your password and check if there are any exported notes (they can be in.txt or.md format).

If you have forgotten your Second Space or App Lock password, you can only restore it through the Mi Account attached to the device.

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com.
2. Select Device Management.
3. Find your phone and reset the second space password.

6.Recover deleted notes with third-party programs

If all the previous methods didn't work, the last chance is to use specialized data recovery software that scans the phone's memory at the file system level and can find traces of deleted notes.

• 🛠️ Dr.Fone (Wondershare) supports the recovery of notes from internal memory and SD-map.
• 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver – works with com.miui.notes databases.
• 📱 DiskDigger is a free Android app that scans memory without root rights (but with root it gives more results).

Instructions for recovery with Dr.Fone:

1. Install the program on your PC and connect your phone via USB.
2. Select the Android Data Recovery mode.
3. Check out Notes and other data.
4. Click Scan and wait for the process to be completed.
5. Look at the notes found and save them to your computer.

Important nuances:

• The less you use your phone after deleting your notes, the better the chances of recovery.
• Without root rights, programs can scan only a fraction of the memory.
• Some models (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra) have hardware encryption that makes recovery difficult.

💡

Third-party recovery programs work best if notes were recently deleted (within 1-2 weeks), and the longer the time has passed, the more likely their data has been overwritten with new information.

7.Alternative storage locations: export and third-party applications

Sometimes users export notes to other formats or apps and then forget about it.

• 📧 Email: You may have sent notes to your own mail (check the Sent and Draft folders).
• 📝 Google Keep or Evernote: If you have used these services to back up.
• 💾 Local backups: Xiaomi sometimes creates backup notes in a folder /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/.
• 📁 Export to file: Notes has an export function in.txt or.md (check Download folder).

If you used Google Drive to back up, try recovering notes from there:

1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Check if backup of application data is enabled.
3. If yes, reset your phone to factory settings and select recovery from Google Drive when you first set up.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for the global market), notes can be automatically exported to Google Keep.

1. Open Google Keep.
2. In search, enter keywords from missing notes.
3. Check Labels – sometimes notes are saved with a tag imported_from_xiaomi.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden notes on Xiaomi